Stephen Elliott Movies

Havoc reigns supreme at a diabetes clinic where several patients suddenly die or go into a coma at an alarming rate. The detectives trace this disastrous situation to a hacker that has invaded the clinic's computer system. Then things take a surprising turn when a vengeance-driven blind man emerges on the suspect list. Without revealing any further cogent plot points, it can be noted that guest star Dana Elcar was legally blind in real life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When young Nicky Guzman (Enrique Monez) is accused of killing a drug dealer, public sympathy is very much on his side. This makes it difficult for the D.A.'s office to mount a successful case against Guzman. But things really get beyond the control of assistant D.A.'s Stone (Michael Moriarty) and Robinette (Richard Brooks) when Guzman engages the services of Chet Burton (J.D. Cannon), a flamboyant Texas defense lawyer with a long and unbroken string of courtroom victories. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Made for television, When He's Not a Stranger stars Annabeth Gish as a college freshman who is sexually assaulted by football jock John Terlesky. Ashamed by the incident-especially since she regarded Terlesky as a friend-Annabeth at first tells no one. But after a session with the school's counselor, the girls feel emboldened enough to file a complaint against her attacker, which leads to an avalanche of hostility from her peers. With nowhere else to turn, Annabeth takes her complaint to court. This stark dramatization of the "acquaintance rape" dilemma was first broadcast October 17, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this sequel to the 1981 hit comedy Arthur, the story picks up where it left off with the bibulous millionaire hero (Dudley Moore) marrying poverty-stricken Linda Marolla (Liza Minnelli) instead of going through with a prearranged wealthy marriage. The vengeful father (Stephen Elliott) of the justifiably jilted bride begins pulling a few crooked strings, and before long, Arthur is broke. Worse still, Linda is pregnant. Will Arthur crawl back into a bottle, or will he save the day? John Gielgud makes a cameo appearance as the ghost of the family-retainer character he played in the first Arthur, while Dudley Moore's real-life wife Brogan Lane shows up in a minor role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Case of the Lost Love was the fourth of the Perry Mason TV movies of the 1980s. Raymond Burr plays Mason (you're surprised?), who while out of town at a lawyer's conference is reunited with Jean Simmons, his lady friend of 30 years past. Simmons has come up in the world, and is about to be nominated for the US senate. Unfortunately, her husband Gene Barry is accused of murdering a blackmailer. The lack of surprise in the denouement is compensated for by the pathos and emotionalism in the final scenes. Back from the previous Mason films is Barbara Hale as Della Street, and Hale's son William Katt as Paul Drake Jr. Despite stiff competition from the Audrey Hepburn-Robert Wagner TV movie Love Among Thieves, Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love swept the ratings when it premiered on February 23, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In Assassination, a routine political thriller directed by Peter Hunt, Jay Hillion (Charles Bronson) is a secret service agent assigned to protect First Lady Lara Royce Craig (Jill Ireland). Lara hates Hillion and tries to get away from him but finds she needs him when her life is threatened by a series of assassination attempts which may have originated from the White House. This routine actioner has little to offer that is new or different, but it tells its tale at a good pace and has some nice location photography. Charles Bronson gives his usual steely performance, while Jill Ireland is more sympathetic as the First Lady who likes her independence but must learn to trust a man she detests. This film, while routine and somewhat predictable will be enjoyed by Bronson fans. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide

Involved in a minor accident at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) ends up with a fractured leg. Over her protests, she is whisked off to a nearby hospital for treatment. You guessed it: A murder occurs--the victim is the head of the hospital--and Jessica must spend most of her forced confinement doing her trademarked amateur sleuthing. 1940s film favorites Martha Raye and Eddie Bracken show up in featured roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of a two-part story, wealthy horse breeder Mr. Armstrong (Stephen Elliott) is still dead set against the romance between his playboy son Garth (John Hammond) and the daughter of Armstrong's head trainer MacGill (Noble Willingham). It is up to angel-in-training Jonathan Smith (Michael Landon) to smooth out the course (or in this case, the bridal path) of true love. Complications ensue when the young couple elopes -- with Garth unaware that his sweetheart is suffering from cancer. A decidedly pre-Mad About You Helen Hunt guest stars as feisty Lizzy MacGill in this, the final episode of Highway to Heaven's first season. ~ All Movie Guide

What's that wisecracking young black guy (Eddie Murphy) in that beat-up Chevy Nova doing in lily-white Beverly Hills? He's Axel Foley, a Detroit detective who's been sent on involuntary vacation because he refuses to drop his intention of avenging his friend's murder. Warned by Beverly Hills police chief Ronny Cox to stay out of trouble, Foley nonetheless dogs the trail of above-the-law Steven Berkoff, the British crime czar who was responsible for the murder of Foley's friend. With the help of sympathetic local cops Judge Reinhold and John Ashton and lady friend Lisa Eilbacher, Foley attempts to corner Berkoff in his mansion, which leads to a wild slapsticky shootout. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Columbo creators Richard Levinson and William Link give crime-solving a rest in their script for the made-for-TV sci-fier Prototype. Christopher Plummer plays a curmudgeonly but basically kindly Nobel Prize-winning scientist, who builds an equally kindly (but much handsomer) humanoid named Michael (David Morse). The government-subsidized Plummer has created Michael on behalf of his sponsors, but has second thoughts when he finds out that the government plans to build an army of robot warriors, using Michael as their model. Plummer sneaks into the pentagon and "kidnaps" Michael, triggering a film-length chase. Prototype had its television premiere on December 7, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally telecast as an ABC Theatre of the Month special, My Body, My Child nobly attempts to tackle the abortion issue--but does so with a painfully contrived, mazelike Perils of Pauline script. Irish-American schoolteacher Vanessa Redgrave, married to Italian fireman Joe Campanella and already the mother of three daughters, believes that she's pregnant. Her doctor pooh-poohs the notion and prescribes several forms of drugs to counter her "faux" morning sickness. The effect of the narcotics, coupled with the fact that Redgrave's invalid father (Jack Albertson, in his final role) has been charged with the mercy killing of her mother, lead the poor schoolmarm to attempt suicide. This time the doctor on the scene announces that Redgrave is pregnant, and that her previous drug intake will result in a deformed, retarded child. Now arrive at the abortion issue: With all the cards stacked against her, what will Redgrave do in regards to her body and her child? Unfortunately, after raising so many diverse social issues, My Body, My Child drops many of those issues in order to rush towards its climax. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Robert Mulligan directed this Americanized re-make of the successful Brazilian comedy Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands. Sally Field stars as Kay Villano, a lonely widow of three years who can't forget the memory of her dead husband, Jolly (James Caan). Jolly was a selfish and unfaithful Broadway choreographer who still managed to win Kay over with his charm. But Kay has fallen in love again with Rupert Baines (Jeff Bridges), a stuffy professor of Egyptology. As her wedding day approaches, Kay receives a visit from Jolly's ghost, who taunts and harasses her, clearly upset that Kay is marrying someone so dull. Kay goes ahead with the marriage and Jolly refuses to disappear, resulting in a bizarre menage-a-tois. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

In this marital drama, a divorcee moves in with a younger man and finds herself embroiled in a custody battle with her jealous ex-husband. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide